


Heat

by laxis



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mother Henning, hinted SouRin, sickness/injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-20
Updated: 2014-08-20
Packaged: 2018-02-13 23:14:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2168946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laxis/pseuds/laxis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a prompt:<br/>"Sousuke has trained too hard one hot day and ends up fainting in the middle of the street. He wakes up in Haru's house, surrounded by the Iwatobi guys and a frantic Rin. They all mother-hen him in their own ways and Sousuke is like 'wut' especially when Haru helps."</p><p>Excerpt:</p><p>".... well, thanks for that, I guess“, he concludes awkwardly. Nanase just nods, which probably already means a lot when it comes to him, but he has no idea because he's not fucking fluent in Nanase-speech.</p><p>Rin blinks a few times and finally tackles the elephant in the room: "What is it with you two?“</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heat

It's stifling hot. Sousuke rubs the back of his hand over his forehead and pulls at the collar of his shirt, lifting it a few times in quick succession in an attempt to fan himself and the uncomfortably sweaty skin on his collarbone. It doesn't help much. He's tempted to let out a groan, but feels too tired to even do so, his mouth completely dry as the afternoon sun burns down on him.

It probably had been a mistake to stay behind and continue his training while everyone else had already left. Rin had shot him a skeptical look and commented on it, but let him do as he wanted in the end – he was not a little child after all, not anymore – and before he had known it, he'd done more than „a couple of laps“ in the pool, always thinking the next would be the last one. Sousuke knew that when it came to speed, he was top tier, but stamina was another story, one where there was definitely still room for improvement. He's feeling it right now as well: Walking over here from the station had already been very tiring to him and he wonders why Rin wanted to meet up in this desolated place out of all things to go jogging. He would have contemplated buying a drink if not for the fact that he hadn't seen a shop on his way for some while now anyway, having nothing on him other than his jogging clothes and money for the ride. He shrugs it off; he is almost there and he can get Rin to buy him something for the trouble later.  
He passes an elderly lady who looks curiously at him and whereas he usually might have flashed a small, friendly smile at her, he can only feel annoyed at the woman who, some part of him begrudgingly admits, actually seems nice. When he has the feeling she wants to say something to him, his pace quickens, and he quickly leaves her behind him, not in the mood for any gossip. 

It was only when Sousuke had glanced at the clock in the swimming hall that he had realized that it was already so late he had to leave or otherwise wouldn't make it in time to meet Rin. Time had passed in an entirely too quick manner and he didn't even have any left to take a break. A break what was he needed now though, he thinks, his breath heaving as he made his way up some narrow stairs in his continuously deteriorating mood. He would just take one once he finally arrives at their designated meeting point, which shouldn't be long by now.

A big white cat comes up to him at one flat stage between two sets of stairs and cuddles up around Sousuke's leg. He's surprised at the friendliness and has to admit that the cat is quite cute. He looks down at the purring ball of fur and that's when he realizes his nose is running. He fumbles for a moment, but of course he doesn't have any tissues with him and so he instinctively touches his nose with his fingers instead. They come away bloody. 

He frowns as the blood continues to stream down and small droplets of blood fall to the floor. The last thing he recalls before he suddenly feels very dizzy and crashes to the floor is the soft meowing of the slightly chubby cat.

_____

Sousuke opens his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. Confused, he attempts to sit up to get a better look at everything and that's when they start.

„Oh! You're awake! Don't strain yourself yet to get up“, a rather small blond boy that he recognizes as one of Rin's friends exclaims, and then adds to a guy wearing glasses next to him: „Rei-chan, get Rin-chan and the others!“

„Leave it to me.“, this... 'Rei-chan' nods seriously and leaves, but not before pushing his glasses up by spreading two fingers and elevating the rims on both sides simultaneously in a nerdy and self-satisfied manner. 

Before Sousuke can say anything, the blonde chatters away. 

„Oh man, I'm glad you're up. I told them it's probably nothing serious, that you just fainted from the heat, but they wouldn't listen.“

He... fainted? Sousuke slowly sits up and this time, the kid is too preoccupied to say something. The first things he notices are that he's in a bedroom he doesn't recognize... and that he doesn't wear a shirt. His brow furrows as some part of him with twisted humor adds that these facts usually could mean the one or other thing.

Chatty boy seems to notice his questioning look and cheerfully says: „We took your shirt off since it was all bloody! Actually, that's one of the reasons we were all worried, I mean it was quite a sight to find you collapsed on the floor... in that puddle of blood“, his expression becomes more serious and reprimanding as he wags his index finger, „I was quite shocked. I ran to get the others since I couldn't carry you alone. Luckily it turned out to only be a nosebleed, but it looked really bad at first glance, you lying there in all that blood. You really have to take better care of yourself!“ He put on an almost pouting expression at the end, but it softens when he adds that well, luckily it turned out to be okay.

That's when Sousuke finally speaks up. 

„The others? Who else is here? And where am I?“

„Well, besides Rei-chan and Rin-chan there's me – oh and I'm Hazuki Nagisa, by the way! I think we haven't been formerly introduced, it's nice to meet you! Anyway, so there's them, me and Mako-chan and Haru-chan. You're in Haru-chan's house.“

Hazuki is using his fingers to count the amount of people and Yamazaki's stomach drops when he hears Haru's name. The others he only knows fleetingly, little more than their names and faces, but Nanase... Out of all people, why had it to be his house that he finds himself in? He really doesn't want to be indebted to Nanase, out of all people.

Sousuke is unaware of the way Hazuki carefully musters him after his expression suddenly soured and he is almost startled when the boy continues speaking loudly yet again. „You know, you really gave us a scare. You should have seen Rin-chan! He was so worried, all the color had drained had from his face and-“ 

„Oi, shut it, Nagisa!“, comes from the door and Sousuke would recognize that voice anywhere. Even the annoyed, slightly high-pitched tone in which the words were spoken just now is so familiar it almost makes him smile. A disgruntled and obviously embarrassed Rin rubs his neck as Hazuki, not getting the hint, continues with an innocent expression on his face. 

„What? Why? I'm only telling the truth. I mean, you even had tears in your e-“

„Heeey now, give it a rest!“, Rin quickly interjects, his pointy teeth showing, and this time Sousuke does snort.  
Rin turns to him and his aggressive expression changes to a softer, albeit slightly awkward one.

„How are you feeling?“

The words come out calm and Sousuke can't help but feel a bit embarrassed himself now that everyone's eyes turn on him.

„I'm fine, really. It's nothing to worry about“, he tries to play it down. Unfortunately, Rin won't have any of it.

„Hah?! What do you mean, it's totally something to worry about! You can't just go ahead, collapse and expect me-“, he halts for a moment, just short enough for Sousuke's eyes to widen „...us not to worry! And then you even have to go ahead and bleed all over the place, as if you had hit your head in a serious accident or something“, Rin huffs. He's talking animatedly, his hand gestures and the expression on his face a mixture between agitation and worry.

„Calm down, Rin... it's not like he did it on purpose“, a voice next to Rin says softly, the speaker holding up his hands in a defensive and calming pose, a smile on his face. That was Tachibana, he must have come up from behind just now, Sousuke thinks. The guy with the glasses – „Rei-chan“, as he recalls – chooses this moment to reappear, too.

Rin blows a strand of his hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ears afterwards and putting one hand on his hip in what is supposedly a cool manner. Sousuke doesn't think Rin knows how adorable and petulant it actually makes him look instead and he wouldn't describe the feelings it invokes in him as anything related to coldness, either.

Tachibana seems to remember something, because a small noise escapes his throat as he looks down at the big Convenience Store plastic bag he is holding, almost forgotten. 

„Oh, we've brought you something to eat. You should really regain your strength. Um, I wasn't sure what you liked, so I got a bit of everything“, Makoto explains sheepishly and pulls out what looks like a meal for a whole starved family with sandwiches, soup, bread, onigiris, and other stuff. There is even a variety of drinks, including Barley Tea and Pocari Sweat. 

Rei adds: „Don't worry, I was looking out that the nutritional value is balanced!“ He seems proud of himself. „Rin-san said told us what kind of drinks you like, and even though I have to say that Coke isn't very healthy...“ A frown begins to make it's way on Sousuke's face and he glances instinctively at Rin, who just grins. Is this guy for real? Rei certainly seems to think so and he clears his throat before he continues: „I guess the rule 'once in a time' applies. To be honest, I think Pocari is probably a good choice right now, what with the fact that it is ion supplied and you lost some blood...“

The rest he doesn't quite get, because Rei continues in a progressively mumbling tone that he tunes out and although Sousuke feels it's definitely weird to be mothered by another high school student – on the choice of his drinking beverages, of all things – , he can't bring himself to be irritated. He's actually quite touched at what some strangers are doing for him and it's his turn to awkwardly clear his throat.

„... thank you“, he says calmly, feeling a bit foolish at the shortness of his comment, but not really knowing what else to say. He has the impression that Rin, who has come to stand by his bed and whom he can only see out of the corner of his eye right now, is probably snickering at him. „I'll pay you back, of course“, he adds.

But Tachibana smiles in that friendly fashion again and says: „No need, it's really no problem, Yamazaki-san. It's nice to finally get to meet you properly, even though the circumstances could have been better.“

„Yeah, you should have introduced us sooner, Rin-chan! Or did you want to keep him for yourself?“ As he puffs out his cheek and startles Rin with his comment, Sousuke thinks that Hazuki probably teases Rin more often than not. Rin sighs exasperatedly.

„Well, that's what I had in mind for today, but then...“

Oh, so that's why he wanted them to meet up here, Sousuke thinks and there'd probably be a bitter undertone to this line of thought if it wasn't overshadowed by his slight feelings of guilt for being such a nuisance. Even though he knows it is irrational to feel bad for what he basically had no choice in, being indebted to strangers who have to take care of him because he collapsed in the middle of the street still isn't exactly on the top of his to-do-list. For now, he takes some water, drinking it eagerly and finishing almost the entire bottle at once. The soup is giving off a delicious smell and now that the collection of food lies before him he suddenly feels very hungry. He sneezes, promptly sending off Rei to worry if he's sick after all and rushing off to find the thermometer „just to be 100% sure“, Hazuki tagging along with him for some reason. 

„It's okay, it's probably just because of the air conditioning“, Sousuke says a bit belatedly, feeling the chill on his bare upper body, but they're already gone, so he's more or less speaking to the remaining two. That's when Tachibana remembers: „Oh right, your shirt is still drying! I can lend you one of my own, seeing as they're most likely to match your size. I'll be right back.“

With that, he departs as well, effectively leaving him and Rin alone in the room. Sousuke somehow gets the impression that this Tachibana was a saint or something of the sort, but at the same time some worry and embarrassment creeps into him. He doesn't know how to feel about strangers taking off his shirt and washing it, on top of the burden of already being carried into their home. He doesn't even remember the last time he would stay in bed because of a sickness and cause people to fuss over him. 

Rin must have caught something in his expression, because he chuckles and then says: „Don't worry, I took it off for you.“  
He looks up at his friend, surprised and relieved that he had understood him.

„I already guessed you wouldn't be too pleased if it was someone else that took off your shirt“, he says under a smile and then suddenly flusters and corrects himself „that is... because they don't know you and it'd be totally awkward... ugh, you know what I mean!“

Sousuke echoes the previous chuckle now.

„I wasn't the one who washed it though.“

His smile freezes, thought immediately wandering to saint Tachibana.

„He just kinda pulled it out of my hands you know, and he was very insistent...“ 

Rin rubs his head and somehow, from the few glimpses he's gotten, Sousuke can't really picture Tachibana as the insistent type. 

„I guess it had something to do with how washing it would mean he could come into contact with water again or what the hell do I know... that weirdo“, Rin snickers fondly.

If his smile was frozen before, then it just reached the Arctic by now.

„Nanase“, he states, a bit disbelievingly. As if on cue, said person comes in through the door into what was most likely his own room, his face as stoic as ever.

„Yamazaki“, he deadpans.

It has become awfully quiet, the two of them just staring at each other. It actually causes Rin to look between them in confusion.

„So I was brought into your house, huh...“

Sousuke states the obvious and usually he would probably rub the back of his neck in embarrassment, but he stubbornly refuses to do it as if feeling he couldn't show any signs of weaknesses. He realizes how ridiculous it sounds though, especially in this situation where Nanase [i]washed his bloody shirt[/i] for god's sake, and lets out a breath he hasn't realized he has been holding until now.  
„.... well, thanks for that, I guess“, he concludes awkwardly. Nanase just nods, which probably already means a lot when it comes to him, but he has no idea because he's not fucking fluent in Nanase-speech.

Rin blinks a few times and finally tackles the elephant in the room: „What is it with you two?“

Sousuke closed his eyes in resignation, thinking he might as well just say it now. „A while back, I approached him about not getting in your way.“

„You did what?!“, is what Rin asks, almost drowning out what Nanase mutters at the same time. It sounded like a questioning repetition of the word 'approached'.

„Alright, I pretty much cornered him. And I'm sorry about that. At that time, I felt that you were the ones at fault for getting Rin into trouble. Because of the stunt you pulled, you showed everyone present at that tournament, including potential scouts, that Rin wasn't ready to go professional“, he proclaims. He doesn't do it gladly, noticing the way Rin flinches beside him. Someone has to say it though and he's not one to beat around the bush. Rin must know as well, he's not stupid: Simply changing the team not only showed that he didn't give a damn about the rules, but also that he wasn't a team player and would just abandon his own team. „... but that was before he told me that you actually saved him.“ 

Sousuke pauses at that, thinking there's a part of him that still doesn't want to accept Nanase. He can't help it, but it feels unfair to even consider that thought after being in his house and taking care of by him and his friends. His stiff expression finally softens when he realizes that. He looks up at Nanase, his gaze no longer hostile, but still direct and unwavering and says: „I was worried about his future. I hope you can understand that.“

At that, Nanase's eyes widen noticeably and Sousuke's not sure what it means, but he can clearly see their expression changing. Besides him, Rin has grown noticeably quiet and Sousuke has the feeling that he can feel the other's gaze bore into him. He can only see it out of the corner of his eye though, since his gaze is not on Rin this time. Finally, Nanase gives one single solemn nod. 

Then he closes his eyes and says: „The mackerel is almost finished.“

With that, Nanase turns and walks away, leaving a dumbfounded Sousuke in bed. Was that a codeword for something? He looks at Rin who chuckles.

„It's literal, he probably really has some mackerel on the stove.“

They're quiet for a moment. Then, Sousuke speaks up: „Are you mad at me?“

Rin turns around to face him and their eyes meet.

„Well, I can't say I'm exactly thrilled that you go around threatening my friends behind my back“, Rin huffs. At Sousuke's apologetic look, he adds in a more subdued manner: „... but I guess it can't be helped and at least you recognized your mistake and apologized. Just don't do it again. I can take care of myself, you know.“

Sousuke nods at that, still not looking all that swell, but that might also be because he just fainted on the street. Rin feels his heart clench at that thought. It's not like he doesn't realize that Sousuke only meant well for him. He wants to tell him, but it's the other who speaks first.

„I know. I just can't help it.“

When Sousuke's voice rings out again, it's strangely calm, almost quiet, but sincere and serious. He's not looking at Rin, but at some miniscule spot on the opposite wall. „Worrying about you, I mean.“ He runs his fingers through his hair nervously. „I...“

Rin holds his breath at Sousuke finally turns to look at him again, his gaze intent and... sad.

„I care about you a lot, Rin. I thought that... maybe I should have been able to help you. When you went to Australia and had to deal with your problems all alone. I know it's stupid, but... I guess I thought I could make it up to you here. Well, I tried...“

He looks away in a self-conscious manner only during his last few words and Rin can feel a familiar wetness gathering in his eyes.

„Is that... is that why you transferred all the way to Samezuka? Because you wanted to help me?“  
Sousuke doesn't reply, but there's a flinch that betrays him. 

„I just had to see for myself. If you're alright... before you might leave again“, Sousuke grits out and then adds with a small smile: „Well, but I also wanted to swim with you and kick your ass, so there's always that.“

Rin can't help the sob that rips out of him now and he turns away in an attempt to hide the tears, but apparently decides to fuck it all, because he buries his face in Sousuke's shoulder instead, hugging him with one arm. He ends up in an awkward position, only half sitting on the bed, and Sousuke freezes before he hugs him back. 

„You're such an idiot“, Rin mumbles and Sousuke can feel the wetness on his bare skin. He doesn't mind at all.

„Thank you, Sousuke.“

They stay like that – it could be just a few moments or an eternity, Sousuke isn't sure. He dimly realizes that Rin's free hand is holding his own, feeling the heat radiating from it. He squeezes back and finds himself lost in the moment. Only when he feels a slight kick against his calf does he pull out of the embrace. 

„Oi, what was that for?“

„Your idioticness! Are you actually serious, worrying about me?! Who's the one having a goddamn stroke?“

„I guess I just overtrained“, Sousuke states, but he doesn't meet Rin's eyes. A shifty-eyed Sousuke is something he doesn't see very often, but he can't appreciate the rarity as it aggravates Rin only more in this moment. 

„Geez, your brain didn't change at all during your huge-ass growth spurt, huh?“

At that jab, Sousuke actually almost pouts. 

„You're only jealous. And besides, don't kick the injured! What are you, a barbarian?“

They look at each other petulantly for a moment before Sousuke's stomach suddenly rumbles loudly and they both break out in laughter. 

„You know, I might be 'huge-ass grown' now, but I still don't think I can finish all this food by myself. Why don't you and the others join in?“, Sousuke suggests. They only realize it now, but the others have been gone for a while.

„Sure, I'll get them. We don't want you to get fat after all“, Rin shoots with a smirk. Sousuke's about to retort something when Rin opens the door, causing Hazuki and 'Rei-chan' to tumble in, out of whom only the latter one has the decency to pretend as if he hadn't been eavesdropping. Nanase and Tachibana are standing with a bit more distance, too, Tachibana smiling awkwardly and holding a fresh shirt in his hand, while Nanase has a tray with food in his hands and an apron that kind of makes Sousuke to reevaluate Nanase with its ridiculousness. 

„Oh, Rin-chaaan, you can always count on me when it comes to food~“, Hazuki exclaims excitedly and Sousuke almost snorts at the bizarre picture of a flustered Rin and all his weirdo friends, thinking that maybe, he can see why he's so taken with them after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this turned out a bit differently than planned, lol. I had to get it out of my system once I started it, though. Hope it was still enjoyable :X


End file.
